SEO Audit

What is SEO?

Search engine optimization is the process of getting a business in the good graces of Google. We all know that Google runs the web and when it comes to finding a service or product everybody Googles it!

So how did your business take advantage of this search?

Well that’s where we dig into search engine optimization, the process of gathering the right information and processing it properly and displaying it in an adequate form for the visitor on your website. When this is done properly, Google takes notice and will rank your website on the first page, possibly even in the first three search results.

We all know that the first three search results are the most popular and when someone needs something they are typically going to choose from the top three and not look any further down the list. Because of this, search optimization becomes very important.

So why do I make a good person to speak on this topic?

Because I’ve done it myself! My company SkyPoint Studios is the #1 rated web design firm in Billings according to Google. I’ve achieved this ranking by creating content related to my secrets tips and tricks (just like this article) on how I actually do what I do on a daily basis.

My knowledge has been distilled into my website and is available for anyone in the world to view at any time. Google really respects this, and gives me awesome ranking for anything related to web design in my business’s area.

So today in this video I’m going to share with you the very first step that you need to take when approaching search engine optimization. And that is a industry audit! An industry audit is what a customer looks for when they need your service.

Now because we know our businesses so well, we think we know what the customer might want, but usually this is not the case. Customers, just like water, will take the path of least resistance. This means that what search term they choose will be very basic and easy to get to.

So you need to come up with what it would be that your typical customer on average would put into the Google search bar in order to find your business when they’re looking for it. And sometimes the best way to find out this is to survey your friends and family, asking them what would you search for when you’re looking for my business.

After you gather this information, it’s time to go do a search. A plumber in Billings, Montana would want to search for “plumbers Billings, MT” or “Plumbing Services Billings Montana”. On the search result page, you’re going to look for how your website ranks.

On the search results page, we’re going to look for how your website ranks. Is it on the first page? Second page? Or is it not anywhere to be found at all?

This is your starting point and essentially your way of knowing how much work you need to do in order to take over and dominate that particular market term. Now repeat this process with the other two top terms you think a customer would search to give you a total of 3 top terms that your customer would search in order to find your business.

Now armed with this information, you’re going to go through your website and see how many times that key word is mentioned; how many pages have that name structure and what the title of your main website is in correlation to those search terms.

Other factors like what is the length of content on pages (should be 300+ words) that are talking about those particular keywords. And that’s it, that’s your audit.

Put this information into a report upon which is a working document, as items get checked off the list and completed will go back and do that search again and see how well the actions have made the results increase.

Remember it takes time to achieve results with Google. Typical times to see results are anywhere between 2 to 3 weeks on average.

Written by: Jophiel Silvestrone

Jophiel Silvestrone has written 161 posts in the Tech Blog.

Jophiel grew up on a ranch in Paradise Valley, Montana near Chico Hot Springs. Working on the ranch instilled work ethic and self motivation. Filled with this drive, Jophiel started mowing the local school's yards twice a month throughout the summers, at the age of 12.
He moved to Billings in 2004, where he has been deeply involved in the local business community ever since. A serial entrepreneur, Jophiel has ran multiple businesses in our local community. He now runs a web development company SkyPoint Studios. One of his favorite jobs though, is fathering his 11-year old son Jaoquin. "JJ" also loves technology.